For Sale: 1932 Essex Terraplane in Hingham, Massachusetts

Zoom Classic Cars presents this 1932 Essex Terraplane 4 door Sedan. Hudson Super Built first year of the Terraplane equipped with the higher compression "Essex Power Dome" engine built by Hudson. This was a 193CI (3.2L) 70HP 6 cylinder engine and is coupled with a 3 Speed manual transmission with cork-faced "Wet" clutch. Color appears to be Sapphire Blue over grey cloth interior and complemented with yellow spoke wheels. The 1932 Terraplane-a play on words in the same spirit as aquaplaning and "aeroplaning" (according to period literature) was constructed on a new, shorter 106-inch-wheelbase chassis, the frame of which was rather unconventional at the time. Rather than use several heavy pieces of I-beam steel as central crossmembers, Hudson's engineers made use of a new floor pan design that was welded directly to the side rails in roughly 20 places, which helped increase the body's overall rigidity. This striking new form of automobile assembly was called "unit construction," unlike the true unit-body style that was to follow decades later. While shorter than the average vehicle, the Terraplane's front and rear track was also much narrower, at 51.5 inches versus the industry standard of 54.5 inches. These factors made significant strides towards achieving the Terraplane's average weight of 2,209 pounds-more than 200 pounds less than the average Ford and 400 pounds less than a Chevrolet.For marketing and publicity, Hudson launched the new car in 1932 by having Amelia Earhart pilot a brand new Terraplane up the Pikes Peak Hill Climb event. She handily won the race with the best time and The Hudson Motor Company awarded here with her very own Terraplane. This car is a mostly original example showing just under 82k miles on the odometer. Interior seems to be in very good condition with cloth seating in excellent condition Ornate gauge faces that provide fuel level and driving range as well as a speedometer that is capable of registering an incredible 100 MPH. Aftermarket SW watt and Temp gauge mounted under the dash. Body of the car is solid with patina and imperfections as shown especially on the rear left fender. Solid & Clean undercarriage. Car starts right up and drives well. It rides on older tires with aforementioned yellow spoke wheels with factory Essex mini chrome hub caps. which includes a fifth wheel mounted on the rear. Tires show evidence of cracking and will need to be replaced. Stored in MA with clean VT title in the owner's name. Please click on the Blue "Additional Info Button to see a video of a 1932 Essex Terraplane Theatrical Ad. Great Collector piece for the Terraplane enthusiast. Please call Jeff for more information or to arrange a viewing. Thanks for Looking.